Heartless Souls
by crypticxmetaphor
Summary: Sequel to Let's Kiss and Break Up Arti returns to the Original family and gets swept up in a world of trouble she was trying to avoid. [takes place during Originals Season 2]
1. Preface

_The phone rang twice before he answered. "Elijah?"_

 _"What is it? What's wrong?"_

 _"Kol's dead. Jeremy Gilbert killed him." When there was only silence on the other end, I continued. "I'm leaving Mystic Falls. I don't know where you've been, but I wanted to say goodbye because I might never see you again."_

 _"Take care of yourself, Artemis."_

I haven't spoken to any of the Originals since. I packed up a bag and left before Niklaus got home. Elijah wrote me every day though, detailed letters about their lives that I never responded to.

"Dearest Artemis," started the latest one.

 _There are things you should know, but nothing that I can write. It has taken great tragedy, but we are a family again. And Niklaus will not admit it, but he misses you; more so every day._

 _Francesca is unraveling and we now know where they are. I have been trying to conduct business as usual, but it is quite difficult when the town is run by her wolves. I prevented the Correas from demolishing one of the city's original foundries._

 _Camille came by this afternoon looking for Niklaus. I sent her away as quickly as I could. It is dangerous for anyone to be here. She was advocating for Marcel to help with a problem, but that is not an option._

 _Please come home to us. I understand Kol was your mate, but that does not mean you can't find happiness- that you can't find love in New Orleans. At least you will have family._

 _Fondly,_

 _Elijah_

This was one of those times when he was vague in his messages. Despite Kol's wishes, I still held onto the belief that love is a weakness. Elijah's motto had a point though, family could be power.

"What's that?" John asked in his Irish accent, peering over my shoulder.

"I think I need to go back to America."

"Wonderful," he planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek. "I am always up for an adventure."


	2. Chapter 1

John held my hand on the plane. I was nervous because Niklaus was mad at me for not saying goodbye and he liked to hold grudges. It's been over nine months and he never tried to contact me, nor I him. John was nervous too, the vampires in his town liked to cause trouble and he didn't know how long he was going to be gone for. His second in command was ruthless, I reminded John, he would keep the vampires in line.

Closing my eyes, I disappeared from British Airways flight BA1496 and found myself in Spain in 1702. I was following behind Niklaus and Elijah and their tripointed hats. We were on the run from Mikael and looking for the youngest brother. We entered the house to find dozens of bodies scattered throughout.

 _"Kol!" Niklaus called._

 _"We've fought hard to keep this family concealed and yet debauchery like this has led Father directly to us," Elijah commented on the gruesome scene._

 _"Show yourself, this is no time for games." Niklaus's voice bounced off the lifeless walls._

 _Kol appeared slurping blood from a young girl's neck. He dropped her lifeless body and picked up a pint. "Come, come brother, there's always time for games." He took a swing of his drink and sat down, completely relaxed._

 _"We have to go, Mikael could be here any moment," I told Kol whose chin was still stained with blood._

 _"Now, if Mikael were upon us, I'd imagine Niklaus would be quite dead," he grinned cheekily._

 _"I barely escaped," Niklaus hissed. "Father left the head of my horse on a pike in the town square."_

 _"He killed poor Theo? What a beast," Kol gasped. Had I not known that he had no soul, I would have believed his concern. "But then, father's always hated you most," he continued, breaking the illusion. "Surely he'll chase you if you flee, leaving me here. Perhaps I'll make myself mayor."_

 _"Rebekah and Finn are already aboard the ship," Elijah announced. "It is imperative we remain together."_

 _Kol stood, challenging his brothers. "Rebekah does what she's told only because she fears Nik," he growled. "And Finn is in no position to argue given the dagger in his heart. I think I'll take my chances here."_

 _"And what if he doesn't?" I reached out and wiped some of the blood from his chin. "What if he tortures you until you tell him where we went and then he kills you because you're useless?"_

 _"Like I said, luv, I think I'll take my chances here."_

 _"You pathetic boy," I growled. "Just remember I gave you a choice."_

 _Kol turned to leave, but Elijah was blocking his path. When he turned around again, Niklaus was on top of him with a silver dagger._

"Wake up, we're here," John's voice pulled me from the dream. "Everything okay?" he asked, his eyebrows knit together.

I nodded although I did feel a bit queasy. "I'm fine," I answered. "I just need a drink."

"Did the letter say where we could find them?" John asked as we walked down the street carrying our duffle bags.

"No need," I answered and pointed up at a large house. "We're here. This has been the Mikaelson house for centuries." I walked right in with John trailing behind. Aside from a few modern updates, the place looked exactly the same as it did nearly three hundred years ago. Elijah and Nik and another girl were standing around a table of food, analyzing it like their lives depended on it. "Alright, Elijah, I'm here. What was this all about?" I waved the letter at him.

"Well, Esther has returned and is probably going to try and kill us again." Nik waved his own piece of paper at me.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that, but I didn't fly all the way across the pond for your mommy issues," I sneered. It was difficult, being in this house, being with them, knowing Kol wasn't going to show up and ruin everything.

"I will fill you in on what has been going on," Elijah said. "But first I believe introductions are in order. This is Hayley." The girl he spoke of was a skinny brunette with high cheekbones and was utterly gorgeous. "Hayley, this is Artemis and…"

"John." He offered his hand.

"John," Elijah forced a smile and shook hands with my friend. "If you expect us to share our family's secrets with a newblood we've never met…"

"Newblood?" John interrupted. "I'm no bloody original, but I've been around for several centuries."

I put a hand on John's forearm to calm him down. "I'm not expecting anything, Elijah."

"Come, then. We have much to discuss." He began walking, exiting the house, and motioned for me to follow.

"If I come back and John is dead, Niklaus, I'm going to kill you first," I called as I went to catch up with the older brother.

We arrived at a loft house across the river. "Where are we?" I asked.

"You remember Marcellus? Niklaus's ward?"

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Marcellus said. "It's not like you to shirt your duties."

"You changed her, you teach her," Elijah replied calmly. "She is not my burden to bear."

"So then why are you here?" Marcellus asked

"The cooperation of a witch."

I wandered around the room as they spoke. A girl was in the corner, looking at Marcellus's extensive book collection. The place was just one large room with a table, sofa, and bed, all on opposite sides. Uncharacteristically for a vampire commune, nearly an entire wall was windows, allowing the sun to stream in. I returned to Elijah's side as Marcellus waved over the girl from the corner.

"Gia, why don't you take Elijah and Artemis to meet our friend Lenore," he said.

"If this is your idea of a joke, I assure you I'm not amused," Elijah replied.

"Oh there's nothing funny about what's going on. Mikael's back which is causing chaos. It just seems like you need all the friends that you can get," Marcellus responded.

"Why would you think it's a joke?" I asked Elijah as we walked away.

"Marcel asked me to mentor her yesterday when he turned her and I refused."

Gia followed us as we left the house and immediately began running her mouth.

"Marcel asked you to take us to a witch," I growled when I grew tired of her voice. "How about we do that?"

"You want to walk in silence, cool," she said. "But you're going the wrong way."

Elijah sighed. "Marcel believes that I can instruct you. First lesson: do your best not to waste my time."

We arrived at a small Wiccan shop owned by a middle aged black woman. "Go away, I'm busy," she said without looking up when the bell on the door rang.

"Blatantly practicing magic, I see," Elijah commented.

"Herbal remedies for a neighbor who lost her insurance, but my guess is an Original ain't here to talk neighborhood gossip," she said.

"I have a favor to ask of you," Elijah said.

"Quarter is crawling with witches, go ask one of them," she brushed us off again without looking up.

"I don't typically ask favors of my enemies."

"So you came across the river to bother me," the shopkeeper sighed.

"We need a soulbranding spell," I told her. "And Elijah can persuade those pesky anti-local business bureaucrats for you in return."

The witch stopped grinding herbs in her mortar. "It's a sacrificial spell. I'm gonna need an item that's been spelled by the witch in question and a python."

"I shall retrieve the enchanted item," Elijah agreed. "My partner, Gia, will take care of the python."

"Will what?" Gia said. "Why can't Artemis do it?"

Gently, I stroked her hair and smiled. "Because I don't want to," I told her, but in truth I was beginning to worry that Nik might have killed John.

"Second lesson of the day: Acquisition through mind compulsion," Elijah told her and guided me away.


	3. Chapter 2

When we returned to the Mikaelson home, I was surprised to find Nik and John speaking civilly while they drank. John pulled me down to sit next to him and kissed me just below the ear. I tried to shrug him off without Nik and Elijah noticing what I was doing. "Niklaus, we need something Esther spelled."

"So your visit to Marcel was a success?" he grinned. "I'll see to it then."

When he left, Elijah took his brother's place across from John and myself.

"So, John, how did you meet our Artemis?" Elijah attempted to make small-talk.

"She's the one who turned me, yeah?" answered John.

"Remember in the 1700s when I left New Orleans to see the British colonies? That's when I met him," I explained.

"Mighty helpful in the war," my Irish companion chuckled.

"Ah," was all Elijah responded with.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked as I struggled with the black dress I had been forced into.

They boys had found a suit for John as well. I watched him as I went down the stairs and he came to greet me. His black wavy hair had been pushed out of his face which emphasized his bone structure and made him look even more attractive. Seeing Elijah in a suit was the same as every day, but Nik looked nearly as uncomfortable as I felt.

"With you here, she might be dissuaded from trying something," Elijah explained.

"But I loathe her and she abhors me. Nothing is going to be accomplished."

"We shall see," Elijah replied.

"Are these outfits really necessary?" Nik whined.

"Appearance is a way of showing respect, Niklaus. Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions," Elijah told his brother.

Nik grimaced. "Well I doubt her guard will drop just because I'm dressed like a blood lawyer."

"We need every advantage we can get, Niklaus, sighed Elijah.

"You always did excel at diplomacy. Just know if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces."

A tall, handsome, black man entered, chuckling. He, too, wore a suit, but he was relaxed in his attire.

"Finn," I hissed under my breath, too quietly for Elijah or Nik to hear.

"You two haven't changed a bit," the man spoke. "Linens and silk can't disguise you're pathetic self-loathing and you, despite the arrogant façade, you're still the same paranoid little boy."

A growl came from my throat and I tried to rush at him. How dare he come into this house and insult his hosts; my friends. Elijah caught me by the waist before I could get at Finn and held me to his side.

"Full of hate and fear," Finn continued speaking to Nik, grinning.

"Forgive me," Elijah spoke. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure."

"You mean you don't recognize me? Your pet does," he smirked and I growled again, barring my fangs. "So much for the unbreakable bond of family, huh? Always and forever, indeed."

"It's been a long time, Finn," Nik hissed.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat," Finn announced.

John pulled my chair out for me and then sat on my right. Nik sat at the head of the table where I was on his right and Elijah was to his left. Finn sat next to Elijah where I could watch him.

"Don't pout, brother. Tonight is meant to be a happy occasion," Finn said.

"What exactly are we celebrating?" asked Nik, skeptical as always.

"Why, my return of course," Finn answered. "Remember, I spent nine hundred years lying daggered in a box. I'm rather enjoying this new body, strolling about your lovely city that uh you've made your home. But do tell me what'd I miss? Regale me with your contributions to society: medicine? philosophy? art? Or have two merely cut a path of destruction across time?"

Finn whispered to Nik's compelled help and she immediately began setting two more places.

"The last time we met," Nik said. "You were helping our mother trying to annihilate the lot of us. Let's not throw stones in glass houses-you expecting another guest?"

"Mother will sit at the head," Finn answered. "As for across from me, that is reserved for another of our clan. Care to wager an educated guess? How about a paranoid one?"

"Well there's no way Kol would listen to anything other than his ego, except perhaps this one, and she only just got here," Nik chuckled.

"And yet our mother has made such a compelling argument that even the wildest of us Mikealsons has seen the error of his ways," responded Finn.

My hand forgot how to work and I dropped my fork, letting it clatter to floor. I tried to swallow, but found I could not; my throat was blocked by my heart. I don't need to breathe, but still could not catch my breath. The air was heavy and I couldn't speak. Everyone watched in silence as I struggled to focus. "He isn't." I was finally able to choke out.

"Oh he is very much alive. More than any of you at this table," Finn laughed.

Did he know I was here? If he was alive, there was no way he was working for Esther, even if he was a witch again. Finn believed his younger brother's loyalty, that was obvious, but Kol had been chosen by Loki since the day he was born. And if we're talking gods: Elijah was favored by Thor; I was obviously chosen by the devil; Niklaus, though, he had been scorned by all the gods and continued to preserver.

"He's accepted his new form with vigor. Change, dear brothers, it's inevitable," said Finn.

Without excusing myself, I ran from the table, desperate for some fresh air. I ran straight into one of the serving girls and instinctively ripped her throat out. Neither John nor Nik followed me and it was just as well. I needed time to compose myself. The gears in my head were turning; I needed to see Kol. Maybe that was why I was dreaming about him. When I returned to the table, I sat down silently and without a word from anyone. John reached out and rubbed my shoulder trying to comfort me even though he had no idea who Kol was to me.

"Did mother bring you back from the dead so you could wash her knickers?" Nik was taunting.

"She released me because I was treated unfairly! Cheated from all but the smallest portion of my life!" Finn yelled. "Elijah! I can understand such cruelty comeing from him, but I always thought of you as being the compassionate one. What did I do to desrve you turning your back on me? Were you afraid of Niklaus? Are you still? Or perhaps Jealousy's why you kept me locked in a box! You coveted the duties of the eldest brother in which case you had near on a millennium to fix the problems of this family and instead induced nine centuries of failure."

"You might reside, somewhat parasitically I might add, in this new body," Elijah responded. "But let me assure you in nine hundred years, your tedious sentiments remain quite the same. You see Finn, like Father, you've always despised our supernatural existence. Father of course slaughtered and consumed his own, where you, you became pretentious and dull, much like this meal. I will not ask you again: where is Mother?"

Following in the footsteps of Finn, a young girl of about fifteen with a pixie style haircut entered the room. "Oh my darling son, I've missed you too," she said.

Finn rose from his seat politely. John moved to do the same, but I put a hand on his leg, warning him not to. He looked to me, baffled that he was supposed to betray proper etiquette until she sat down.

"Why don't you say what you came here to say so that this wretched night can end?" Nik hissed at her.

"It pains me that you and Elijah look at me with such disdain. I wish you could see that my every action has been to protect you," Esther replied with the young girl's voice.

"You actually believe that, don't you? I knew you were a liar, but now I see you are utterly delusional," Nik sneered at his mother.

"If you can forget the hatred that you cling to and remember all the times I've mended and healed you. Elijah, do you recall the day that Niklaus challenged your father to a duel?" she responded. "Did I leave your brother to die alone? What did I say when you came to me and asked me to help?"

I had begun bouncing my leg as she spoke. It was uncomfortable and irritating. The more she spoke, the more I itched to tear the bitch's throat out.

"That you would rather die than watch any of your children suffer," Elijah answered her.

"That doesn't make you a good person!" I growled, unable to keep it to myself any longer. "That you don't want your kids to be hurt? That you keep them alive? That's what parents do! It doesn't make you special or better than anyone else because you did what was expected of you. You are obligated to help your children; you agreed to that when you became a mother! They didn't ask to be born. You chose to have them."

Esther glared at me. "I wasn't speaking to you."

I snarled. "One day I will kill you."

"The necklace!" Nik interrupted. "It wasn't spelled to protect me. It made me weak!"

"I sought to protect you from yourself. If you killed your father in the course of that duel or anyone else; you would have activated your curse," she tried defending herself.

Nik slammed his fist on the table. "You ruined me! You left me to suffer at the hands of a father who only valued strength."

"I kept you from becoming a beast for as long as I possibly could," she responded.

"Oh, you lied to me to hid your own transgressions because of your own fear," Nik's eyes had begun welling up with tears, but when he became upset he became even more angry. "My whole life I sought the approval of the man I thought wa my father. You turned me into the weakling he hated! Look at me!" he demanded of her. "You raged against the monster I have become, but you, Mother, you're the author of everything I am!"

Esther turned to Finn, looking as though she might cry. Instead she took faint and collapsed. Elijah ran forward and caught her before she fell from her chair.

"She's gone," Elijah spoke after inspecting her. Without their mother there, Elijah rushed at Finn who tossed him aside without touching him.

"Where is she?" Nik growled, but Finn crippled him as well.

Slowly, I walked up to Finn, challenging him. He held his hand up, but I kept advancing. "Fool!" I grinned. "Your magic has no effect on me."

With a gasp, he turned and ran from the house.

We picked up the girl and waited for her to wake up. When she did, Nik wasted no time in grilling her for answers. "Where's our mother?" he demanded.

"Where I am?" she asked. "What's happening?"

"Leave her; she's a puppet" Elijah said. "Niklaus, look at her. She has absolutely no idea."

"What are you talking about?" the girl continued. "Who are you?"

"Shut up!" Nik yelled. "Stop talking right now!"

"Our mother orchestrate this entire evening just to torture us and then imply vanishes. Why? What if we were not the only minds she was hoping to poison tonight?" Elijah spoke. "Damn," he muttered under his breath and pulled out his phone. "Hayley is at Lenore's. We have to go," Elijah announced.


	4. Chapter 3

John held me back from joining the brothers. "Will you talk to me?" he asked.

I nodded and stayed behind. "What's this about?"

"Were you ever going to tell me about Kol?" he asked.

"Honestly, no," I answered and poured myself a drink.

"Why not?" John growled. "Who is he?"

"Kol was my mate. He died about a year ago. For all intents and purposes he was gone; out of my life. I didn't think it was important."

John growled. "Not important? You had a mate, but didn't think it was important?"

"You're not my boyfriend," I reminded him, snarling back.

"One day you won't have anybody, cheers," he said before storming out of the house.

"Good look!" I called after him, curing him under my breath.

"Where is your friend?" Elijah asked when he returned with Nik and Hayley in tow.

"Probably on his way back to Ireland," I shrugged. "What happened at Lenore's?"

"The bitch escaped again," Nik seethed.

"Besides Mother's offer of rebirth, what else did she say?" Elijah turned to Hayley.

Hayley shrugged, still a bit flustered. "I don't know. She rambled a lot. She blamed the two of you for what happened to Hope; to me."

"Well I hope you're not think of taking her offer," Nik said, but the girl wasn't paying attention to him. "Hayley, I'm talking to you!"

"What do you want me to do Klaus? I lost my daughter! So yeah, when your mother offers to wipe the slate clean, excuse me if I'm tempted. By the way," she rounded on the other brother. "Thanks for the help tonight, Elijah. I'm sorry it takes me being in danger for you to even talk to me."

"Leave her," Nik ordered Elijah when Hayley took off. "I need you with me. Arti can talk to her."

I choked on a laugh. "Cause I'm a girl? What am I supposed to say to her? The only feeling I have is rage."

Nik glared at me until I left and went after Hayley. I knocked on the door to her room and entered to find her sitting on the foot of her bed, crying silently.

"Men suck, amiright?"

She chuckled and looked up at me and dried her tears. "That's what you came up with?"

I shrugged and sat down next to her. "I surrendered my humanity long ago. In the past century, the only time I felt something was when Kol was murdered."

"What was that like?" she asked.

"Well we were always fighting. Elijah was always afraid one of us would kill the other. If we weren't fighting, we were having sex. Sometime both. But when he died, when I watched his body burn, I felt like someone had reached into my chest and pulled out my heart. But I got up. I took some time off and came back to the family."

Back at the house, I felt like tearing my head off just because it would be my fun than babysitting the wolves with an over-emotional Hayley.

"Niklaus!" Elijah yelled, entering the house.

I had no idea where he had been, but I jumped up, excited. _Thank god, a killer vampire_ , I thought.

"You do understand that everyone here has supernatural hearing right?" Hayley met him.

"Where is my brother?" he asked her.

"I'll check his calendar," she answered. "No, wait, not his wife."

"Hayley, the city is under siege by an army of beasts following my deranged mother's every command. Now, considering it was your people that just declared war on my kind, perhaps now's no the particular time for your brand of sass," Elijah responded.

"Klaus left a while ago/ If you want to find him, I can't help you," she seethed. "I'm leaving you with this magical device that people use to call people. I don't know; I've run out of ideas. Good luck." She began to walk away, but had another thought and turned around. "Oh and one more thing, Elijah, those beasts that you're referring to, they may be under Esther's control, but like you said, they're my people, so if you hurt them, your bitch mother will be the least of your problems."

I reached up and pat his shoulder. "Why don't you two just kiss and make up?"

"Is it that obvious?" he sighed.

"That was a fight between two people who just broke up if I ever saw one," I laughed.

"Come along," he said, turning around and leaving the building. "By the way, we were never together."

"Of course not; you'd never go after Niklaus's baby mama, you're two classy for that."

We walked along in silence after that, back across the river to Marcellus's community. We found the whole group of them having a meeting in the loft, but didn't intrude. "Not that I'm not digging this whole Karate Kid vibe we've got going here, but how do we learn to defend ourselves from a pack of superwolves in like, one day," a young one with black hair was saying.

Elijah nodded and I knew exactly what he wanted. We rushed into the group, each behind one of Marcellus's newbloods and broke their necks. "Lesson one," Elijah spoke. "Always be on your guard."

"Alright," Marcellus clapped his hands. "Let's begin our training."

I followed him outside with his newbloods to teach them how to fight. Elijah stayed inside the loft though, with Gia.

Not much training got done because soon I found myself back inside the loft with Marcellus, Elijah, Gia, and the vampire who spoke before, Josh. Across from us stood two werewolves, plus Hayley. One of the wolves had short brown hair he gelled back and high cheekbones; Aiden. The other had blond hair to his shoulders, scruff on his chin, and was quite built; his names was Oliver.

"The witch wants soldiers. So now, it's either join up or pay the price," Aiden explained.

"I've known Finn to be merciless, but I'll admit this succeeds even my expectations," Elijah added.

"They're just kids," Hayley said. "Marcel, you know the Quarter like the back of your hand. If anyone can get them out of here; it's you."

"And take them where?" I asked. I didn't get why the werewolves would ask vampires for help.

"They're still wolves in the bayou. The ones who didn't take a ring. They can look after them," the pretty blonde one spoke.

"The ones who never sold out," I laughed.

Oliver shot me a sidelong glance. "If you want to look at it like that, that's fine. We did what we had to do."

"You wolves have been fighting us for decades. Why trust us now?" Marcel asked.

"One of the recruits is my little brother," Aiden admitted. "There's no way I'm sending him to war."

Elijah stepped forward. "Tell us what you need."

We had a plan; one that I thought was pretty thorough. I hid myself in the streets along with Gia. Our job was to cause a distraction that came in the form of killing one of the werewolf guards escorting the children. She bumped into one and while they were looking away from me, I snapped his neck. We split and I ran to meet Elijah and Oliver according to our plan. I reached Elijah just as Oliver did.

"Where are they?" Elijah asked.

"They should be right behind me," Oliver huffed, catching his breath.

On cue, dozens of werewolves emerged from among the parked cars. "Don't even think about it," spoke a scruffy looking man. "We got you surrounded."

"Now, you don't think we'd be dumb enough to bring 'em here do you?" Oliver laughed.

"I do apologize for any inconvenience," Elijah spoke. "The little ones you seek are elsewhere, which I suppose, leaves you here with me."

"You're the ones that don't seem to understand," Scruffy said. "We're not looking for the kids; the witch wants you."

I lowered my center of gravity, ready to fight, and snarled letting him see my fangs. Oliver moved between me and Scruffy, but I didn't ease up.

"You listen to me very carefully," Elijah said, taking off his suit jacket and looking up at Scruffy. "I told a good friend that I'd do my very best to spare the lives of her people. Leave right now; I will honor that. Stay, and the situation becomes irrefutably awkward." When scruffy also lowered himself into a fighting stance, Elijah turned to Oliver. "You should probably leave."

"I'm either in or out, right?" he responded.

I made the first move at Scruffy and went right for the throat. Oliver actually ripped one of the men's arms off. The three of us killed them all in a single bloodbath. There was blood on his hands and shirt and chin and even in his gold hair.

"Well I guess that's all they got," Oliver said.

I reached out and tried to wipe the blood out of his hair, smiling at him.

"So it would seem," Elijah agreed, but suddenly dropped to the floor and held his head.

"Actually, I'm just getting started," Finn showed up.

Finn waved his hand and threw Oliver against a car, making sure I was in the line of fire. Oliver's large, muscular body landed on top of me.

Elijah took the opportunity to grab Finn by the throat and pin him against another car. "Let's hope your next body will last a little longer than this one," he hissed.

Out of nowhere, Esther arrived in Lenore's body. I noticed Oliver trying to stand up, but I pulled him back down on top of me. "He can't die, Oli," I hissed. "You'll just get yourself killed.

Before Elijah could break Finn's neck, Esther drove a stake through her son's heart.

I didn't move until Esther had gone. Unfortunately, she and Finn had taken Elijah with them. "I have to go. I need to find Elijah!"

"Woah, woah," Oliver caught my arm. "What are you gonna do? Do you know where they went?"

"You're right. Backup. I need backup; I'll find Niklaus." I was bouncing on the balls of my feet. The longer Elijah was gone, the more time Esther had to find a way to kill him.

"Klaus?! What can that psycho do?" Oliver asked.

"He might be psychotic, but he'd never let Elijah die," I answered and began running. "You coming?" I called.


	5. Chapter 4

We made it back to the house, but no one was there, not even Hayley. "Shit," I growled and flipped a table.

"Hey, calm down there," Oliver put an arm around me and pulled me into him. Instantly, I tensed up, unused to such intimate gestures. "We'll find him."

"We?" I asked, pulling out of the embrace.

"Well I followed you here, didn't I?"

I pulled out my cellphone to call Nik. When he didn't pick up, I nearly crushed the phone. Taking a deep breath, I dialed Hayley's number. "Elijah's missing," I told her as soon as the phone stopped ringing.

"What happened?" she asked.

I explained how Finn and Esther both showed up and kidnapped the Mikaelson brother.

"And Oli?"

"He's right here," I assured her. "But we need to get to Elijah. Meet me where he was taken from."

When Oliver and I arrived, Hayley was already there and she had brought Marcellus along. "I just called Klaus," he informed me. "Apparently Mikael has taken Cami captive."

I sighed. "Alright, let's go save the human."

Oliver and Hayley both glared at me, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of responding.

I saw Nik with the stake in his chest while the blond human tried to defend him. Nik's skin had already turned, grey, but his body was not burning. I breathed a sigh of relief; he was still alive. Marcellus attacked Mikael and I joined in. Easily, Mikael threw me across the room. I hit the concrete wall and fell to the floor. I tried attacking him again, but again he threw me to the side. I could only see Kol's body before it had burst into flames.

"Now enough," Mikael growls, knocking Marcellus to the floor. "This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it," Hayley appeared and struck Mikael with an iron chain until he collapsed.

"It's over Mikael," Nik said as we all gathered around him. "You're outnumbered. Are you going to beg for your miserable life?"

The vampire chuckled. "You think having people makes you strong? It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have women, children, and fools fighting your battles for you," he seethed before disappearing.

After he was gone, I noticed a young boy picking himself up off the floor. I didn't recognize his face, but he looked directly at me and I realized it was only a mask. It took me a moment before I could speak again. It had to be a mirage, a ghost of some sort. My Kol was dead. "Kol." I grinned and rushed up to him.

The boy embraced me and buried his face in my neck. "It's lovely to see you, sweetheart."

It felt good to be in his arms, but strange at the same time. There was usually some yelling before intimacy of any kind. I pulled back and looked at him. "I'm not sure how I feel about this new body. It looks kinda young."

"You'll like it well enough soon," he winked at me. "Who's that?" he nodded over my shoulder to where Oliver was standing. "Is he?"

"You're asking questions."

"That I know the answer to," he grinned. "I've got to get going with Davina."

"What are you doing with her?" I sneered.

"Mother asked me to keep an eye on her. Plus, she's wicked powerful," Kol answered.

I shook my head. "Not the gold dagger."

"I'll see you around, luv," he planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek and ran off.

It was odd. I thought seeing him again would be more dramatic, but it was more of a casual reunion between two friends. It was as if he had never even died.

"So, Niklaus, your brother is still missing," I called.

"Well, let's see what we can do about that, shall we?" he grinned.

"Stop pacing, luv," Nik sighed.

"Well what are gonna do about Elijah?"

"If Esther doesn't want to be found, she won't be. She's the type you need to draw out," he told me.

I noticed my phone was buzzing and answered Hayley's call.

"Oliver's gone," she said.

"What are you talking about? I thought he was going back to the pack with you?" I resumed my pacing, not sure how I ever got this involved.

"Well he didn't wait for me and he never made it back. And now the witches have spread a rumor that they're gonna execute him at midnight!" she informed me.

"If we find him, we might find Elijah. What do you need?" I asked.

"Not sure yet," she responded. "I'll let you know."

Eventually I did receive another call from Hayley. She wanted me to meet her outside of the cemetery. When I did, I found her with a rugged man carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows. "Who's this?" I asked.

"Ansel," the man answered, but didn't offer to shake my hand.

There was a blanket of fog around the mausoleums and graves. I had never been there without hoards of creatures and somehow, the way a graveyard is supposed to be, it was much more ominous that I had expected. Oliver was chained up inside one of the mausoleums.

"Oli, Oli," Hayley called his name. "Wake up."

"What the hell are you doing here?" he mumbled.

"We're here to save your ass," I explained. "Please tell me you know where Elijah is."

"They know we're here," Ansel interrupted.

Hayley stood and gripped the iron chains. "Sorry, no time to be gentle." She yanked on the chains and he fell forward. "Let's go."

"Just leave me," he choked out. "Go."

"To hell with that," Hayley growled. "If they want a fight. I'll give them a fight."

Ansel growled back. "No, I came with you to save one of my own, not to watch you kill scores of them. Take your friend out the back. Move as fast as you can, I'll hold them off here."

"Come out. We know you're here," called Aiden.

I stayed hidden around a corner with Oliver while Hayley stepped out to face the wolves. "Why don't you just let us go and we'll call it a day."

"No, I don't think so," Aiden responded.

"Are you sure? Because I brought some insurance," she said and I stepped out next to her, fangs barred. "You think Klaus is vicious? Have you ever seen Artemis in action?"

"You're idiots," Oliver joined us. "You're lying up to fight a hybrid and Original, and for what? So you can kill me? All because some witch gave an order. I know I ain't innocent, but I never lost sight of what I was fighting for. We were gonna be a pack and now we are turning on each other. Killing your own people, you do that; we're nothing."

Aiden started to move to the side to let us pass and the rest of the wolves shuffled away too.

The three of us cautiously walked through the ranks. "We need to go," Hayley hissed as soon as we crossed the cemetery threshold.

"You two go. I don't belong in the bayou," I told them.

"Uh, thanks," Oliver said, hesitating about leaving.

"Oli, just go!" I yelled, probably louder than I should.

His lips crashed into mine and I was too startled to kiss back. "I'll see you soon, darlin'," he winked and disappeared with Hayley.

I returned to where we had left Ansel with the wolves in search of Elijah. When I arrived, all the wolves were dead and Nik had appeared. "No!" he was crying. "No, you're not real!"

"Niklaus?" Ansel asked, incredulous.

I hid among the tombstones, not wanting to intrude.

"No!" the hybrid growled again. "You're a phantom conjured by Esther, that's all you are. Mother, stop this charade! I know this thing is not real!"

"Look at me, Niklaus," Ansel said. "I am flesh and blood; your flesh and blood."

"You've been dead a thousand years," Nik breathed.

"True, I lingered on the Otherside, watching you let the world fall apart until four moons past I found myself in a land of wolves," Ansel tried to explain.

"No," Nik kept saying. "No, no. You're just in my head. You're an illusion mean to sway me to accept her bargain."

My heart hurt for him. it was hard enough seeing Kol again, I couldn't imagine if it was my father.

"I do not speak for Esther!" yelled Ansel. "I know nothing of her bargains, but you are my son," he added more gently.

I watched as Nik's eyes went dead. "Even if what you say is real. You are nothing to me. For all I care you can crawl back to Hel," he sneered.

Klaus ran off from his father, picking me up in the processes, not setting me down until we reached the other side of town. "How long did you know I was there?" I asked.

"You will speak of this to no one," he growled his order at me.

"You have my word."


	6. Chapter 5

Elijah had been chained up in the same manner as Oliver, also completely unconscious.

"Wake up, brother," Nik shook him. "Elijah!"

"He won't wake," Esther had entered. "Not yet, which gives you and I one last chance to discuss my offer. Although I really wish you hadn't brought her,"

"You promised me Elijah's safe return. Or was that a lie just like that ghoulish atrocity outside claiming to be my father, back from the dead," he sneered.

I moved closer to Elijah and tried at the very least to keep the shackles from pulling anymore skin from his wrist. "Elijah, wake up," I whispered. "I've seen your other brother. Kol is alive, he doesn't look like you anymore. We just need to get rid of your parents, and then we can see Rebekah again." I knew I had awful bedside manner, but I didn't know what else I could do or say.

"Your father's return is real," Esther told her son. "I pulled him from the Otherside right before it collapsed and placed him in the bayou among other wolves and I used the execution of one of his own to draw him here, where I knew he'd find you."

"To what end beside my torment?" Nik growled.

"I brought him here to be the father you never had, to teach you to be the man you always longed to be. Once you are remade as a werewolf you can join him," she spoke with her forked tongue.

Nik wrinkled his nose at her. "His return changes nothing."

"It changes everything," Esther countered. "It is my gift to you, Niklaus. This offer is your last chance at salvation. Reject me now and you will live out your endless days unloved and alone. Do not refuse me out of some ancient spite."

"Not spite, hatred," Nik corrected her. "A pure and perfect hatred that is greater now than the day I first took your life."

I held Elijah's head up although he was still unresponsive and pretended he was watching the scene with me.

"Why?" Esther cried. "After all I've done to explain to you, why must you persist?"

A primal sound came from the back of Nik's throat and in a moment he had his mother pinned against the wall and was squeezing her throat. "You came for my child! My daughter! Your own blood!"

"You. don't. understand," she managed to choked out.

"My child!" he growled again.

"Niklaus, I had to," she pleaded.

Nik only squeezed tighter. "You declared war when you came after my family and for that I will make you suffer as only I can. After all, I am my mother's son." He tossed her aside and came over to me and Elijah.

I pointed at the doll that hung above and Nik pulled it down, simultaneously freeing his brother. I picked the freed Elijah up and threw him over my shoulder to carry him out of the cemetery. He was still unconscious when we got back to the house, and I gently laid him out on his bed. If he was human I would have thought he had a fever; he was sweating and mumbling incoherently. I stood in the doorway and watched as Nik placed a hand on Elijah's forehead, attempting to force his way into his brother's mind, but was thrown back.

"What are you doing?" Hayley brushed past me and demanded.

Nik wiped blood from his nose, slightly surprised. "Trying to enter Elijah's thoughts to wake him. Esther has locked me out," he answered.

"Is this rash a side effect of the witchy acid trip he's on?" Hayley pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a strange pattern on his neck.

"I haven't seen this since I was a child," Nik examined it more closely. "Our father would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual and Esther would use the petals of a rare Morloch Orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell and then wake him with roots of the same plant. If she has access to it now, than perhaps it also stays in the bayou. You stay here with Arti and your wolves and mind the fort."

"Klaus I'd rather rip your mother's head off," Hayley responded.

"Stay clear of her," Nik ordered. "I mean it, Hayley. She already got to you once. What would happein if Elijah woke to find you were a victim of her madness?"

"I won't go after her, I promise," mumbled Hayley.

"What happened to invoke this new found rage?" I asked her after Nik had left.

"She killed Oli," Hayley hissed.

"But we got him out."

The hybrid shook her head. "He was hexed. He died anyway."

"Fuck!" I growled and flipped over the desk that was in the room and it crashed into the wall, splintering into several pieces.

"I've learned a few things from Esther. I'm not going after her; I'll go after everything that she loves," Hayley spoke to both me and Elijah.

I went with her to find other creatures daft enough to join our mission. We found Aiden and then headed to Marcellus's loft.

"Where's your alpha?" he asked us.

"Unavailable," Hayley answered.

"So you brought Junior Varsity," Marcellus sneered. "I'm getting kind of sick of you using my place as a den for wayward wolves."

"We're going after Finn and thought you might be interested in spilling some blood," I grinned.

"I remember you being worse than Kol," the vampire responded. "I'm listening."

We took it as an invitation to sit. "Well it's not going to be easy," Aiden spoke. "He's surrounded by a pack of juiced up wolves. Does he have a weakness?"

Marcellus grinned. "He does, actually, and I have her on speed dial. He's got a thing for Cami."

"Klaus will go ballistic if we get Cami involved in this," Hayley said and I had to agree.

"Klaus ain't here," Marcellus pointed out. "And Cami, well she's got this thing about people telling her what she can and can't do. I trust you of all people understand." He put his phone to his ear and called the girl.

Conveniently, there was a map of the town including the pub where Finn wanted to meet Cami for a date. "He won't be unprotected. There'll be wolves positioned here and here." Aiden pointed on the map.

"Can we keep this ally open?" Marcellus also pointed.

"Great, I'll wait there and rip Vincent's head off," Hayley agreed.

"Nah, I wouldn't. He'll body jump," Marcellus rejected her idea.

"His head stays on," the blonde human entered carrying a file box. "He'll have a hard time answering questions without it."

I wrinkled my nose; I didn't want to _talk_ to Finn. I threw off the lid of the box, curious what she brought that could have been any help.

"Sweet. It's a big box of dusty old junk; we're saved," Josh said, peering inside.

Aiden tried to conceal his laughter as Cami explained the box. "They're dark objects my uncle left for me. I've been cataloguing them according to Kieran's notes. As far as I can tell these can be used against witches specifically."

Marcellus reached in and pulled out a set of iron shackles.

"Kinky," commented Hayley.

"I remember these," Marcellus smiled. "A hundred years ago the human faction waged war against the voodoo queens. They had a trader spell these manacles. Slap 'em on a witch, can't do magic as longa s they're on."

"Alright, well we're not gonna get the handcuffs of doom on him while he's surrounded by his werewolf entourage," Josh pointed out.

"Just lure him away," I shrugged, that part was simple.

"I can do that," Aiden volunteered.

"Yeah, maybe," Hayley said. "If we do this, you're the bait," she told Cami. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Make it look convincing," Cami told us. "The guy's really smart.

The plan was to have Hayley bite Cami. When Finn saw the wolf bite, he'd call Aiden and avoid the other wolves. The rest of us would wait at St. Ann's Church.

"So are you only here cause you like killing?" Josh asked me.

I laughed; newbloods were adorable. "Would you be more comfortable if I told you I wanted to get revenge for Oliver?" It was partially true; he seemed like he would have actually been able to keep up with me.

Aiden's phone rang and he signaled for us to be quite. The plan was working; the call came from Finn. "It was a wolf bite!" I heard the witch on the other end. "Who broke rank?"

"I'll knock some heads together and find out," Aiden assured him.

Finn agreed and said he'd do a locator spell to find the wolf responsible and then that Aiden should meet him alone. The other wolves couldn't be trusted.

"Well, he bought it," Aiden told us when he hung up. "His locator spell will bring him here without bodyguards."

"Okay, time to go over the plan one more time," Cami said to Hayley.

"Aiden's gonna get Vincent to the altar and then I'm gonna jump him," Hayley recited. "He's powerful though, so I only a few seconds to get the shackles on him."

"Where's Marcel?" Cami asked, looking around.

"He's looking for Davina. He heard she was back in town," Haley answered.

"Protective dad stuff," Cami said knowingly.

Hayley laughed. "If you wanna call ripping Kol Mikaelson into a thousand little pieces protective dad stuff, than yeah, that's it."

"You have got to be kidding me," I groaned and ran off to find Kol. I has assumed correctly just where he'd be; in the Claire tomb where he used to goad Mary-Alice into doing magic for him. He was alone, but the place reeked of the teenager's perfume.

"Has Marcel been around?" I asked, not bothering to say hello.

"No, is he supposed to be?" Kol laughed.

"I heard he was going to kill you for being involved with Davina," I explained.

He smirked at me. "Aw, and you came to save me?"

"I hadn't quite decided yet," I snarled.

"Come on, darling, why are you so hostile?" He began closing the space between us.

"Because you came back from the dead and didn't even try to find me! Not even a measly text message!" I yelled.

Now he was only inches away. "But I'm here now," he said. "And I believe I was going to show you the benefits of this body."

His lips crashed onto mine and his tongue found its way into my mouth and down my throat. I kissed him back and his hands grabbed at me, pulling my closer. I moved quickly and pinned him against the wall, but he turned us around, never breaking the kiss. His hands moved up my shirt and mine found their way to his jeans, undoing his belt. I moaned as his lips trailed down my neck.

"Bite me," he ordered as he thrust himself inside of me.

"No! You're mortal now," I protested.

"Bite me," he demanded again.

He thrust harder and I let out a cry of pleasure. My fangs appeared and I sunk them into his neck, letting his warm blood pool in my mouth. He was still sweet, but I didn't receive any memories or feelings as I did when he had been a vampire.


	7. Chapter 6

As we put ourselves back together, I offered some of my blood to help him heal and he accepted on the condition that I didn't kill him. "Why don't you want to be immortal?" I asked. I never could understand why anyone didn't want to be young forever and all-powerful.

"Not ready to give up magic again; not yet," he told me and looked at his watch. "Davina should be home and asleep by now. I need to steal myself a stake."

I let him go and went back to his brother's house. When I get there, Elijah is awake and dressed in a full suit. In my mind, I imagined him waking up in his tshirt and immediately putting on a button down and tie. "Look who's awake," I grinned and hugged him.

"Good to see you upright," Hayley greeted him as well.

Marcellus was there too and I suddenly became concerned that I should have gone with Kol. He was just as infuriating as ever, but I didn't want him to die. "You have some family downstairs," he said to Nik.

We left the room to see what he meant and found Finn restrained with his hands tied above his head. Across the way, Kol was held in the exact same manner and I burst out laughing.

"Kidnapping," he said. "A rather unpleasant way to begin a family reunion."

"Oh, wait until you see how we end it," Nik smirked.

In the morning we untied the boys, leaving the dark manacles on them of course, and we all sat down for a family breakfast. Nik sat at the head of the table, I was to his left and Elijah sat next to me. Across from me was Kol and Finn, next to him. Kol reached for a beignet while Nik spoke, but Elijah reached and slid the plate away from him.

"If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said; save me a night of being shackled to a wall," Kol said.

"Yes, this was Niklaus," Elijah spoke. "It was my recommendation to remove your limbs one by one 'til you comply."

"Bloody hell," Kol breathed, shocked. "How much time have you been spending with Arti?

I grinned. "I know, right? I'm very proud of him, but despite hat Nik thinks; I know we can't turn you, Finn. So: what body part are you most attached to?"

Nik forced a laugh and rose from his chair, standing behind the witches. "We have no desire to torture you, provided you vow to stand beside us, as brothers."

"Brothers?" Finn echoed. "Does that word even apply to us after all these centuries of betrayal and is loyalty to you ever really rewarded? If so, Niklaus, where is our sister Rebekah? She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years and now, nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go and how did she escape your vile machinations?"

"You think me vile?" Nik avoided his brother's question. "What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"

"She was trying to make you mortal again," Finn responded. "And you both refused her. Only proves how fare you've fallen, but I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See,

Elijah growled. "Rebekah is off limits to you- pursue her, and you will suffer."

"Do not let him goad you, Elijah," Nik interjected. "Neither he nor Esther will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found and she does not."

"Esther is quite determined," Finn pressed. "She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

Completely enraged, Elijah reached across the table, grabbing Finn by his collar and dragging him over to himself where he bit his neck. I had to wrestle him off of the witch and Nik pulled him into the next room.

"That's usually your job," Kol smirked as I fed Finn my blood to heal him.

"I know. I'm kinda pissed." I looked Kol up and down as he reached for the pastry Elijah had denied him moments ago.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, noticing my glance and then looked down at his shackles. "Oh, kinky," he grinned.

Elijah returned, but only for a moment. "Let's go," he growled at me.

I stood and followed, not entirely sure what was going on. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"To see Rebekah."

The meeting spot was a crusty old diner west of the city. We sat in silence with our coffee. Elijah drank his, but I only ordered it because social convention told me to order something. His phone rang and he smiled at the screen; must have been Hayley.

"That old man is staring," I interrupted him, speaking so quietly only another vampire would be able to hear.

Elijah pocketed his phone as the waitress came over with more coffee. "Tell me," he compels her. "Has there been anyone out of the ordinary here today?"

"Just you two," she answered and poured more coffee for him, but accidently spilled it on his wrist. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"It's quite alright," Elijah brushed her off. "Thank you." He wiped the coffee from his shirt cuff, but the stain remained and he kept trying to get it out like Lady Macbeth.

I put my hand on his, breaking him from his trance.

"It's not safe here," he said. "We can compel the waitress, but everyone else is a threat."

He waved over the waitress and told her whatever happened, it was going to be alright and to keep going about her job; not to panic or scream. Then he went for the old man. There was a couple sitting in the corner and I took them out, relishing in the blood. The rest of the staff was next and in moments the waitress was the only person still alive in the diner. We stashed the bodies in the bathroom and for the next several hours, any other customers that walked through were met with the same fate.

After dark, Rebekah arrived with little Hope in her carriage. She put the carriage on the table and then hugged her brother. Elijah picked Hope up out of the carriage and cradled her in his arms.

"Look at you," he cooed. "So big. So perfect. I can't imagine spending every day with her. It's"

"Quite lovely," Rebekah finished for him. "It feels very human."

"Yes, it's one of the most human experiences," Elijah agreed.

I put my head in my hands. Yes, the baby was adorable, but the conversation was killing me. Humans with their morality, with their aches and pains and illnesses, with their bowel movements and sweat. A child did not alleviate all that.

"I know I have to give her back to Hayley when the time is right, but she's made me realize how much I want that child of my own that I know I can't have," Rebekah continued, ignoring my groan.

"It's a lovely dream," Elijah concurred. "Unfortunately, it's one that's just beyond our reach, considering the curse of our existence."

Now, I was really starting to get twitchy. Vampirism is a blessing: I was blessed with angel blood, they were blessed with magic and we all transcended our mortal forms.

"Seems Esther's attacking with her usual fervor," Rebekah commented as the siblings continued to ignore me.

"Yes, Mother tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago," Elijah told his sister. "Then she made an offer to make us all mortal again. You see, sister, Mother believes that by placing us in new bodies we could then reclaim some kind of purity, making families of our own again. I have to confess Rebekah, this invitation, no matter how cruel the delivery, had a certain kind of appeal."

Rebekah lowered her eyes and noticed a stain on Elijah's white shirt cuff. It was not the brown of coffee, but the brown of dried blood.

"You needn't worry," Elijah reassured her, pulling his jacket sleeve down to cover the stain. "We're safe."

She stood and lifted Hope, muttering something about changing her diaper. She wasn't in the restroom for a minute before she returned. "Alright, luv. Well, she's all sorted and ready for an adventure. Aren't you, luv?" Rebekah placed the infant back into the carriage.

"It's hard to believe one this innocent; we mustn't let the world ever hurt her," Elijah commented.

"You're right, we mustn't," Rebekah agreed and snapped his neck.

I hissed and stood in a defensive posiotn. "What the hell?"

"He's dangerous," she said. "Are you going to kill me for it?"

"Of course not." I let up.

She called Nik to ask for direction and I tried not to listen to what he was saying. "He's killed an entire restaurant of people. When have you known him to kill when he can otherwise compel? It's the kind of act that will draw our Mother's attention." Pause. "I broke his neck to keep us safe, but I have no clue what to do next." Pause. "You know how she likes killing." Pause. "Of course."

He had hung up and I looked at her expectantly.

"Go back to New Orleans," she said. "Nik will meet me."


	8. Chapter 7

When I returned to the house in New Orleans, Finn was locked in a coffin and Kol was chain free. "What the hell did I miss? When I left you were being tortured?"

"Yeah, thanks for that," he teased. "But I agreed to help Klaus against Mother Dearest so now, I'm on your side. I'll always choose your side." He reached up and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and I slapped him away.

"Davina is around here; I can smell her," I told him. "I'll be back."

"You're not going to kill her?" he asked genuinely.

"Not yet. I want to see how this plays out," I grinned.

I found Marcellus in the next room. My sudden return had startled him. "You're back? Where's Kol?" he asked.

I pointed to the room where I had just come from and Marcellus pushed past me. With a shrug, I followed him. Davina had appeared and they had already begun practicing spelling a doll. We had interrupted Kol's flirting.

"You know you can take this seriously or I can lock you in a coffin like your brother," Marcel threatened.

"No, no," Kol protested. "I'd prefer you to bugger off. This spell needs time to cook in peace."

"Cami doesn't have time!" Marcellus growled. "Esther can jump anyone into her body right now!"

"Yeah, yeah, but she's not gonna jump anybody, is she?" Kol retorted. "She's gonna jump Rebekah, who just happens to be miles away, but Marcel, I'd be a bit jumpy too if my old ex was about to jump into my new ex. That would be a bit, ah"

"Awkward," Cami finished as she appeared as she does.

"I was gonna say, kinky, but,"

Marcellus grabbed Kol by the shirt, interrupting his sentence.

I growled and pulled Marcellus off of the boy. "Check yourself, Marcellus."

"I appreciate the chivalry," Cami said. "But, Marcel, you'll both have an easier time protecting me if you're alive."

"Keep working," Marcellus orders and after shooting me a dirty glare for using his full name, left with Cami.

I also let Davina and Kol be, ascending the stairs. Still, I remained on the balcony, hidden in the shadows, content on eavesdropping.

"What is it with you two?" Davina asked.

"Ah, it gets a bit old, playing odd man out on me own family," Kol sighed and I snorted. Davina must have been a fixer because Kol was most certainly not a kicked puppy. "Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, are always a party of three with Arti as their bodyguard and no room for me at the table, but there always seemed to be room for Marcel." After a moment, he spoke again. "You know that diamond, the one that I showed you? That was the baby version. The one that we need to do the dagger spell, well, it has to be a lot bigger. A hundred years ago, I had it in my hand. Then Marcel ratted me out to Klaus and they took it and he probably bloody well kept it."

"So let's steal it back," Davina grinned. "It's a good chance to snoop."

I received a call from Nik and had to suspend my spying. "Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Well, Rebekah wants to have a bonfire and Hayley thinks I should write a wish," he growled.

"Oh!" I smiled. "I forgot about the bonfire."

"It'd probably be more bearable if you were here. What happened with you and Elijah?" he asked.

"It was strange. He insisted that were weren't safe. He didn't say much, just to compel the waitress and that everyone else was a threat. He killed one and we all know how I get. After we killed everyone, we had to kill anyone else that happened in too," I explained. "I didn't realize something was wrong with him afterwards. He did something you or I would have done."

"Yes, Esther has messed with his mind," Nik confirmed. "How is Kol doing?"

"Charming," I grimaced.

"I'll keep you updated," he told me and hung up.

I went to find where the witchy couple had got off to and found them snooping, just as Davina suggested. She had found a family photo which included the four siblings, myself, and Marcellus from the 1914 Christmas.

"Is that you?" she asked him.

"Ah, better looking, that me," he smirked.

Davina laughed. "You wish."

"I've got to agree with Kol," I revealed myself.

Davina jumped in shock and dropped the photo. I ran to catch it, grabbing it before it hit the ground where the glass would shatter, and handed it back to her.

"Relax," I told her. "I'm not going to tattle on you guys."

"Well what about Rebekah?" she asked, looking again at the photo. "I've never heard anyone talk about her."

"There's not much to say, really. She was always their girl. There was one time, though, she did me a solid." Kol recounted the story of how she covered for him the last time he was rifling through Nik's things, looking for the diamond we though we both know she didn't.

Kol had struck a bargain for the diamond, but now he refused to continue helping without the white oak stake. Although, he spoke logically, Marcellus called the deal off.

"Kol!" Nik entered the house. "Whatever grudges you hold against me, we're doing this for the good of our family. Do I have your word that for once you will honor that?"

"You have my word, Nik," Kol answered. "I swear on the fate of us all."

"I'll get the stake," Nik declared.

As everyone had their roles to play and I was once again an extraneous body, I went out to hunt, not having fed for a couple days. The people at the diner were killed, but not drained. When I returned Nik grabbed me by the neck and threw me against the wall. "You are not to leave again," he growled.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my throat when he let me go, looking around to see an unconscious Camille and Rebekah.

"Finn's out and Esther is using Mikael to do her dirty work now," Nik explained.

Cami let out a gasp and woke up.

"Camille?" Nik asked.

"I suddenly love that stupid name," she laughed.

Marcellus knelt down beside Rebekah, who remained unconscious.

"I couldn't stop the spell," Nik mumbled and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Is Esther dead then?" I asked as we left the room.

"Rebekah and I took extra precautions. Esther is exactly where she needs to be," Nik answered.

Eventually we moved Rebekah's body back into the coffin and we gathered around her. Nik and Marcellus stood looking down at the girl they love. I stood on the other side of the box and pushed her hair off her face. Kol returned and stood next to me.

He held out the white oak stake for Nik to take. "A promise is a promise," he said. With an arm around my waist, he tried to kiss me.

"No, you taste like Davina," I pushed him off.

"Don't you still love me, darling?" he grinned

"Mates don't have to love each other." I rested my head on his shoulder.


	9. Chapter 8

Nik had left to bring Cami to the secret location of Elijah and Hope. I ditched Hayley and went across the river to be with my own kind. Yet, Hayley somehow managed to find me there. She called Marcellus and told him to bring some vampires to the house for a parley with the wolves. I ditched the vampires to see Kol because he was, for once, without Davina. I threw myself onto his mattress as he puttered around his room.

"'Ello, luv," he leaned over and kissed me before returning to his task.

"I'm thinking about removing Davina," I spoke to get his attention.

"Settling into your new accommodations?" Nik interrupted. I hadn't realized he had returned home and sat up to greet him, but didn't leave the bed.

"Well I would have preferred my old room, but seeing how it's filled with a dusty nursery and a hybrid, thought it best not to complain," Kol responded.

"I brought you something, in honor of your return to the fold." Nik held out a bottle. "I believe it's your favorite or at least it used to be, La Fevre."

Kol took the bottle and examined it in disbelief. "Ding dong! Ah the witch is dead, or undead, whichever. Cheers!"

The bottle broke from the bottom, spilling the drink everywhere.

The cause was apparent when Finn entered the room. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Finn, please, join us," Nik grinned. "My, my, does he look peaky?"

"He does look peaky?" Kol agreed with a lopsided grin of his own.

"Are you feeling okay?" I joined in.

"Don't make me ask again!" Finn yelled.

Nik acquiesced. "Right, if you're referring to our mother, fear not. She's tucked away somewhere perfectly safe. You'll never find her."

"You think you've won. Let's see how long that arrogance lasts, brother," Finn sneered. He headed out to the common area and I followed as far as the balcony to watch him. "I see you're brokering a truce between mongrels and parasites," he spoke to the creatures down there. "And just how long do you really think that's gonna last? A month, a week, a day? What you don't yet seem to get is that the only thing that can exist between your degenerate species is hatred, war, and death."

The entire building shook. Gia ran forward but burned herself when she tried to cross the threshold; a boundary spell.

"But I imagine, given a little time confined together, you'll come to see things the way I do." Finn disappeared and I returned to the room with Nik and Kol.

Nik put his hand to the window and experienced the burning for himself.

"Did he really just trap us all in here?" Kol asked.

"He certainly did. Which means we have a witch problem. You're a witch, fix it," Nik growled at his brother.

"And what the bloody hell do you want me to do about it?" he yelled at Nik.

"Well considering the crowd, I figured you'd be more motivated to find a solution," Nik responded. "After all, I can easily outwait our brother's antics. You, on the other hand, might find yourself looking a bit appetizing to some of our other prisoners."

Kol sighed. "I'm gonna need some help. You can't touch her, I still don't have the dagger."

"I couldn't get past the barrier anyway," I sneered and he waited for Davina to answer her phone.

I went with Kol down to the common area when Davina said she was on her way. Hayley and Marcellus had broken into the alcohol and had gotten their respective people to begin drinking, hoping to cool the tension. The girl walked through the front door and curiously put her hand up by where the spell had been cast.

"Careful, careful; it's nasty," Kol said, jogging up to her. "Pretty girl to the rescue, eh? You ready?"

I watched from the other side of the room as they put their hands up. After a minute of muttering they were both thrown back. Kol looked at his hands; he must have been burned.

"What just happened?" Davina asked.

"I assume that means we're all free to go," Nik commented.

"No, the spell's locking us out," Kol told his brother.

"Vincent must be channeling something; a dark object maybe," Davina explained.

While the witches discussed a new strategy, I noticed the vampires were starting to get hungry; hungrier than they should have been. "Something's wrong," I told Kol and Davina. "You might want to hurry up or they're gonna eat you."

"Who are you?" Davina asked.

"Artemis," I shrugged, not really understanding her question. "Daughter of Cain, ward of Lucifer."

She must not have believed me because she didn't react to the name's I dropped. Perhaps she was Muslim. "I mean, I always see you around here, with Kol; you're not a Mikaelson."

"Perhaps not, but Kol is still my family. Are you jealous?" I laughed, my lip curling up into a grin.

"Leave her be, Arti, or we're never getting out of here," Kol reprimanded me and then spoke to Davina. "I'll be right back, I just gotta go tell Nik."

I escorted Kol through the ranks of vampires and to the room where Nik, Hayley, and other leaders had gathered.

"Finn's boundary spell is too strong," Kol told them. "Now what Davina and I can do is cast a destruction spell that will temporarily neutralize all magical objects in this compound including the compound itself. If it works, it will give us sixty seconds to escape whilst the boundary is shut down."

"Alright, alright, that sounds good to me," Marcellus said.

"If the spell works, it will suppress all magical items in the vicinity, that means your rings," Nik explained to Marcellus.

"And if we go out in the sun without our rings, we're dead," he sighed.

"Can you wait until night?" I asked.

Marcellus shook his head. "They're all so new," he sighed. "They're not going to be able to fight the hunger. We can't wait til nightfall. We're going to have a bloodbath on our hands before we even get close."

Outside, we could hear a fight breaking out. Marcellus restrained one of vampires and I was able to embrace one of the wolves without much protest. Aiden was on the ground, his arm was bleeding. Not two feet away, Josh stood staring at the laceration.

"Joshua," Nik stood in between them. "You get away from him right now."

"Davina!" Marcellus called. "Start the spell."

The witches put their hands up and muttered some new words. "Alright, sixty seconds," Kol declared.

Kol moved to Davina's side and all the wolves filed out as the vampires hid in the shadow under the balcony. Nik ran forward and threw Kol back into the compound. "Change of plan, brother. I no longer have to treat you like anything but the treacherous liar you truly are."

"What the hell, NIk?" I ran Kol's side to make sure he was alright and noticed his forehead was bleeding.

"Where is she?" demanded Nik.

"Please!" Davina pleaded. "They'll kill him."

"Arti won't let that happen," the hybrid sneered. "Rebekah never made it to her new body did she, and seeing how you cast the spell and well, you're you, I'd hardly call it an uncrackable case."

"Rebekah's fine, Nik. It was a prank," Kol tried explaining as he stood and began walking towards his brother. "Nothing more than any of you lot have done to me, but I guess that is just." He was interrupted as he burnt his hand.

"Oh, barrier's back up," Nik grinned. "Those vampires look oh so hungry. I was willing to welcome you back into my home, but you had to return to your selfish, petty jealousies. Well, let's ee how well they help you survive when you're stuck in there."

Gradually, the vampires were beginning to surround us. I picked up Kol's new, lanky body bridal style and ran him upstairs and locked us in his room. He helped me to move furniture in front of the doors and windows until it felt like a fortress.

"You shouldn't have done it," I told Kol. "You know how Nik loves his baby sister."

"Bugger off!" He growled and punched the wall.

I tried to comfort him, but he threw me back.

"Get off me!" he yelled as I stumbled back.

"Fuck you! You want me to let them eat you?" I hissed.

His lips crashed into mine and then my shirt was over my head and on the ground. Soon I was on my back on his bed. It was only a moment before we were both naked. We remained holding on to each other, my head on his chest and his arm around me, tracing circles on my hip.

"I hate having to tell you stuff, that you can't just feel what I want you to know. I hate that we're not connected. I hate not blood-sharing with you. I hate not wreaking havoc with you," he spoke gently. "But I haven't had magic in a thousand years and I love the power. I love using magic and I've missed it, the gods know I've missed it."


	10. Chapter 9

Now, fully clothed, we eavesdropped on the vampires outside. I could hear fine laying on Kol's bed, but he needed to stand by the door, so I stood with him.

"I'm going to give you two seconds to tell us why we don't go up there and take the witch," Gia was saying. "You lied to us. You betrayed everything you taught us. How can you lead us?"

"Hey! I'm sorry I let you down, all of you," Marcellus responded. "But the way that you are feeling right now, this despair, this hunger; I have been through it and if you let me help you survive it, I guarantee you, it will only make you stronger. Now you can challenge Artemis, but the older a vampire is, the more powerful they are and no one knows just how old she is. Arti would kill every last one of you and if by some miracle you do overtake her, Klaus will kill you for revenge for his brother's life. But at sundown, Vincent's gonna drop that barrier spell and those doors are gonna open and we are gonna be smack in the middle of a parade full of innocent people. We can't fall apart now."

"Oh, Kol, a parade," I sighed, picturing the rivers of blood. "We would have taken out the whole thing together."

"I know, darling." He put his hands on my shoulders and planted a kiss on my neck.

Gia had continued speaking. "Innocent. Guilty. We're hungry. We have to feed."

"We don't feed on locals, that's our rule," Marcellus said. "That is how we survived three hundred years in this city and that is why we get to call it home, because we live by a code."

"The same one that won't let you tell your own people that you're dying of a werewolf bite?" came Gia's voice.

"I'm not dying of anything!" Marcellus yelled. "Now I've got a vial of Klaus's blood in my place right across the river along with enough blood to satisfy all of you. All we have to do is get there. You once asked me what I was fighting for, I told you I was fighting for this city, for our home, but if we feed out there we lose it. The barrier will be down any moment now. Let me help you get home."

"Well that was truly inspiring," I grinned at Kol. Marcellus, like Nik, always had a taste for the dramatic speeches.

"Let's get the bloody hell out of here," Kol sighed and we began moving the furniture as the bells rang, marking the hour.

We snuck out onto the balcony in time to watch Marcellus cautiously reach out and declare: "It's down. Let's go."

"Go see Davina," I sighed, looking at Kol.

"Don't look at me like you're thinking about leaving," he responded. "I need you, I need something from her; it's different."

"I feel like a fucking modern teenager. It makes me want to kill someone," I yelled in hysterics. "It makes me want to kill you! It makes me want to kill her! I'm a vampire and you're my fucking mate! This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

His lips gently touched mine in a reassuring kiss. "We are mates," he told me. "We'll get through this. We have forever."

The three of us: Nik, Rebekah, and I called Elijah to inform him about Freya. At the same time, a new portrait of Rebekah had been hung to commemorate her old body. "That's not my chin, Nik," she said, looking up at it. "It's much more delicate."

"The only delicate thing about you is your ego," Nik retorted.

"When placed beside the behemoth that is yours," she quipped.

"Please," Elijah's voice came from the mobile device. "Can we dispense with this fascinating dispute just for a moment and return to the subject of our long lost sister."

"There's nothing much to discuss, Elijah," Rebekah returned to the conversation at hand. "She said she was Freya and then darted off into the night."

"And you believed her?" said Elijah's voice.

Rebekah shrugged. "I met the girl in a mystical looney bin. She could be anyone telling any lie, but she did seem familiar somehow."

"But how can she be alive if she disappeared before the rest of you turned into vampires?" I asked.

"A question as annoying as it's many possibilities considering this family's annoying predilection for cheating death," Nik returned.

"I don't know, Nik," Rebekah moaned. "I'm just telling you what she said."

"Well did you happen to ask if by the same miracle, our Aunt Dahlia lives as well?" he sneered.

Rebekah began to respond, but Nik interrupted her by continuing to yell about a curse on the first-borns.

"Well let me turn back time and do it again to your liking then," she retorted.

"Enough!" Elijah silenced them. "Both of you, if she is who she says we'll find out soon enough. For now, it is imperative that no one learns of Hope's existence. This has been our salvation thus far.

"Unless Hayley's husband to be starts flapping his gums," Nik mumbled. "Perhaps I should take preventative measures and separate him from his head."

"Jackson will do nothing to jeopardize that wedding," Elijah's voice told us.

Rebekah stared at us, incredulous. "Hayley's getting married what in the hell else did I miss?"

It was extremely boring in the house since Kol had disappeared. "Nik. Nik?" Rebekah was wandering around.

"That was Aiden," Nik hung up his cellphone. "Finn has Marcel."

"Since when?" I asked.

"I don't know," he growled. "Nor do I know where they are, what they're doing, or what specifically to do about it! This family makes me want to murder people."

"Join the club," I joked.

"Not now, Arti," he groaned.

"My timing is impeccable as usual," I heard Kol's voice. I turned around and there he was, standing in the doorway.

Nik's upper lip twitched as he debated if he should attack Kol right away or wait a moment to find out what possessed his brother to come back. "Well, the traitor thinks he can just walk in here like he's welcome."

"As gracious as your apology must be, you're still getting one hell of a slap!" Rebekah began making his way towards him.

"Can't you see something's wrong?" I interrupted her. "He's calm."

She stopped and took a moment to look at him.

"Thank you," Kol told me. "I understand the irony of what I'm about to say, but I came here because I need your help."

Nik chuckled, appreciating the irony.

"Look, you don't understand, Nik," Kol continued. "Finn has locked me in this body. No more jumping, no changing. He's put a curse on me, Nik. I am dying!" There was a pause in which no one spoke, his siblings only looked skeptical. "You don't believe me," he realized, but I walked up to him and put my arms around his waist. I wasn't about to let him be taken form me again.

"Well, you're hardly the champion of truth telling," Nik quipped.

"Of course, why would a brother expect his siblings to leap to his aid," Kol sneered.

"Oh, spare me the pity party, Kol. Your recent actions warrant a certain merit of disbelief," Nik made a good point.

I thought it was obvious Kol was telling the truth, but Nik had to be convinced for himself. Nothing I could have said would have changed his mind so I remained silent.

` "Look, I know what I've done, but I won't apologize for trying to pull one over on you, Bex, you deserved it, but I don't deserve to die!" Kol pleaded. "Certainly not at the hands of my own family."

Nik grabbed his arm to turn him away from their sister. "What kind of con are you playing?"

"The con I hate the most; the truth," he answered.

"He's not lying. Even as a boy, Kol never lied once called on the act. He may play dirty pool, but he's not lying," Rebekah spoke. It seemed Nik trusted her more than he did me.

"Nik, I was helping Marcel for Davina," Kol explained. "Finn has him. He's trying to get a secret out of him, something he thinks he knows about you."

I looked away uncomfortably, not used to keeping secrets from Kol. As I avoided making eye contact, I noticed Nik and Rebekah were also looking away.

"He's right, isn't he?" Kol noticed our uncomfortable silence.

"Marcel doesn't know anything about anything," Nik stated with authority.

"Well you better hope that that's true because believe me, Finn has the means to get it out of him," Kol responded.

"So what's the secret anyway?" He asked while he set up a spell with Rebekah. The two sat together and I leaned on his shoulders, desperate for contact.

"The term secret implies something known by only those who have earned the right to be aware of it," Nik told his younger brother.

"Does Arti know?" he asked.

"Of course I know," I squeezed. "I haven't stuck around for a thousand years to be excluded."

"And I haven't?" he chuckled.

"No, you kept running off to be with your witches, leaving me behind to deal with his temper," I answered.

"Start the spell," Nik ordered.

Kol continued without looking up. "Well it's easier said than done. Finn is channeling the power from our parents. He's a lot stronger than something a week old witch and I can do."

"Now hang on," Rebekah protested. "I might not be trained but I-" She was interrupted by the candles going out. "Blast," she muttered.

"The spell Finn cast to lock you in your body; do you remember it?" Nik asked.

Kol stood to appear equal to Nik. "I was a little distracted by the murder-y part."

"If we can use that spell against him, once he's locked in his body, I can end our collective woes with a brief snap of the neck," Nik explained. "All I need to do is pull it from your memory."

"Ah no, no, no," Kol backed away. "I am not allowing anybody into my mind. Do you understand?"

"You came into my home, asking for my help!" Nik yelled. "This is it; it's not a request." He clasped his hands to the sides of Kol's head. It only took a moment before he pulled away, snarling.

"I'm guessing just by the look on your face that it worked," Kol tried speaking carefully.

Nik threw his brother against the wall. "You come simpering for brotherly love and that whole time you were plotting against me with that damn dagger," he growled. "You're no better than Finn."

"And you threatening me makes you better than Finn, does it?" Kol returned.

"Both of you just stop it," Rebekah pleaded.

"I came to you because you're my family, but I see now while you, Elijah, Rebekah, and Arti all hang portraits and share secrets, I am the odd one out. You want to know where Finn is? You want to find a way to kill him? Then figure it out yourself," he cried.

He held out his hand and Nik dropped to his knees. Rebekah tried to intervene and Kol attacked her as well. After watching them suffer for a moment, he let up and ran out of the house.

"Fuck," I breathed and ran after him.


	11. Chapter 10

I made sure I didn't catch up with Kol or overtake him until he got where he was going. Inside the Claire tomb, he smashed whatever was on a table and sat down. I sat next to him without a word as he began to cry.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I can't lose you again. I just got you back," I held onto him.

He kissed my forehead. "You think I'm okay with his? I'm sorry, luv, but there's nothing to be done."

His phone rang a couple times before he answered. "Are you calling to gloat you venomous, venomous animal?"

"There's no need for such language," I heard Finn on the other end. "I'm calling with a proposition that might motivate me to spare your life."

"You've got my interest," Kol replied squeezing me closer.

"I need you to draw some of Klaus's blood," the brother spoke. "Bring me some in an hour and I'll heal you."

"It would be my pleasure," Kol agreed before hanging up. Kol released me and picked up the diamond that he used to channel extra power.

I was all for violent fun, but I was never reckless. Kol was mortal now and for the first time in forever, I was worried. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Not entirely sure, Arti," he answered and I couldn't help but follow him as he ran back to the Quarter and his brother's house.

It was no surprise to find Nik fighting with Rebekah. We were able to enter unimpeded and I stood a few steps behind Kol to make it clear I was not a part of whatever action he was about to take. "Calm down," Rebekah was telling Nik, about what, I had missed.

"Our brother doesn't do calm," Kol sneered and with a flick of the wrist, knocked Rebekah out and when Nik approached him, Kol caused him to start vomiting blood. "Oh, you're angry, are ya? Join the party; I've been here a thousand years," Kol yelled. "I was building that dagger to protect myself against you, Nik. I'm not the bady guy at this juncture of our family's story, I'm the wronged! I'm the dead, but never mourned. You got everything that you wanted. I got a family that didn't care if I lived or died."

"Shut up!" Nik growled and grabbed Kol by the throat. "We've all suffered. We've all been wronged."

"Go on, finish it off! Go on, kill me!" Kol cried.

I rushed to grab Nik by the shoulder, but I hesitated before pulling him off of Kol. Nik released Kol on his own. "I'm not gonna kill you, you idiot," Nik cries. "Despite your behavior, you're still my brother."

"Just the one you daggered repeatedly," Kol rubbed his throat, now on the ground, looking up.

Nik rolled his eyes. "I daggered all of you for your own good. If you don't agree with my motives, fine, I never claimed to be the champion of temperance, but stop this dribble about being singled out and unloved. You are a Mikaelson. You're my blood and I need you by my side."

"What does that even mean, Nik? You talk about family: family this, family that, but I haven't even earned the right to share your secrets, have I?" Kol accused.

"No, you haven't," Nik admitted, but held out his hand to Kol. "But by all means, brother, prove yourself; it's not too late."

Kol let Nik help him off the ground and I shifted my position so I was standing back on the younger one's side. "Finn wants your blood," Kol told Nik. "He promised to heal me if I delivered it."

"You know where he is?" Nik shouted.

"You've got to tell me why he wants it!" Kol responded. "Look, Nik, you've got to trust me for once in your life and I will stand by your side, I promise."

Nik narrowed his eyes at his brother, still not trusting him. "You would risk your life to help me?"

"I know enough about dark magic to know that I'm hexed," Kol began to explain and reached out for my hand. "There's no reversing what Finn's done to me which makes him a murderer and a liar and if I'm gonna die I'll be damned if he gets what he wants."

Nik grinned. "Finn has been dead to me for a long time. Tonight, I plan to make that official. Help me and I will share my secret with you."

"He'll be in the bell tower of the Saint Louis Cathedral," Kol divulged. He took Nik's hands and placed them on his own head. "Go inside my mind, find the spell. Let's finish this."

"He isn't really going to die, is he?" Rebekah asked me while Nik dug through his brother's thoughts and memories.

"Looks like it," I sighed as I bounced on the balls of my feet. I wanted to get out of there; I wanted to go kill Finn.

The bell tower was abandoned. The only suggestion someone had been there was a table covered in candles and ash. "Well where is he?" screamed Nik. "Is this a trick?"

"He said he'd be here, I swear!" Kol put his hands up. "This is the remnant of the spell." He examined the table. "It's impressive."

"Admire its artistry later," Nik sneered. "Tell me what he's set in motion."

I blew off the ash to reveal a piece of burnt wood. Picking it up, I handed it to Kol. He took it in his hands and muttered a few words. The wood restored itself to before it had been burnt.

"Runic tiles," Rebekah declared. "What's it mean?"

"It's a symbol, 'baby,'" Kol told her and looked around at us. I uncomfortably avoided making eye contact. "That's it isn't it! Your baby's still alive?"

Nobody truly answered him. "Finn tricked us into running around all day, tricking he was trying to find a way to find Hope when he knew where she was all along!" Rebekah cried.

Nik pulled out his phone to call Elijah and warn him that Finn was on his way. Kol took Rebekah's hands in his and began speaking a spell. I watched anxiously along with Nik. I found it strange that now that Kol was mortal and filled with humanity, I had begun to care again which only made me feel more violent. Kol and Rebekah released each other, jumping back as though they had been stung.

"Finn's link to our parents is too strong," Kol explained.

"So how do we severe the link?" I asked.

"I can't," he admitted. "But there is something I can try. It'll take power of our own and a lot of it."

We split up according to our plan. Rebekah and Kol went to the tomb where Finn was keeping his vampire parents while I went back to the house with Nik to gather up all the dark objects he had accumulated over the years.

"Wait!" Nik stopped me as we were leaving and ran back upstairs. When he returned he was tucking something into his inside jacket pocket.

I was already holding onto a bag full of dangerous items so I wondered what he could have needed. I gently reached out and pulled back his jacket to see the white oak stake.

He pulled his jacket closed and shot me a warning glare. "Let's go."

At the tomb, I threw down the bag of dark objects and Kol started rifling through them. "Most of these are mine!" he declared, answering the unspoken question of where Nik had acquired so many spelled items.

"There's one more," Nik told him and pulled out the stake.

"You really trust me with this?" Kol asked taking the stake.

"Whatever it takes." Nik was certain.

Kol and Rebekah tried again, but again were cast away. "We're almost there. We just need something to put it over the top," Kol said, wiping blood from his nose.

"Take me!" Nik declared. "I am a vampire-werewolf hybrid with ten centuries of blood on my hands; channel me!"

"No, Nik," Kol began to protest.

"You wanted my trust, brother; here it is. Do not fail me." Nik handed Kol the bone knife so he could do the ritual.

"You're a genius!" Rebekah cries and hugs Kol after the spell had worked.

"I'm a little surprised it worked myself," he grinned before falling into a coughing fit.

"Kol?" Rebekah tried to help him. "Listen, I am not gonna let you die, neither is Arti. You hear me? Whatever it takes."

Nik groaned as he woke up, interrupting the moment. "Tell me it worked."

"We did our bit," Kol laughed. "I promise, Finn is back to being a regular-strength maniacal bastard."

"I know in the last millennium we haven't always seen eye to eye," Nik put a hand on Kol's shoulder. "But in this moment I am reminded once again of something Elijah has always said, 'family is power.' Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kol returned a lopsided grin.

"Speaking of Elijah," Rebekah interrupted.

"He will prevail," Nik said, simply. "Of that I have no doubt."

"There's something else I have to do," Kol excused himself, but not before kissing me.

"Be careful," I told him after kissing him back.


	12. Chapter 11

Kol had gone off to plot with Davina, meanwhile back at the house a dozen different things were happening. Nik was planning for Hayley and Jackson's wedding; to be hosted at the house. He had compelled a team of decorators who were going over the top. Elijah and Cami had returned with Hope. Nik had to "see to" the werewolf opposition. And Rebekah had ditched the ceremony to see if she could find a way to help Kol.

I went to find Nik after the ceremony because I had expected Kol to return by then, but he hadn't. Davina had showed up without him and I was concerned. I found Nik upstairs on the balcony with Elijah while the rest of the wedding party paraded the street.

"Have either of you seen or heard from Kol?" I asked.

"No, were we supposed to?" Elijah responded.

I shrugged. "All I know is he went to meet Davina and Davina showed up to the wedding without him. No call, no text about a change of plans," I answered.

Nik growled. "No one in this family let's anyone be. Elijah here is trying to be my chaperone all night."

"Chaperone, steward, babysitter," Elijah grinned. "Whatever term tickles your fancy most, brother. You are welcome to indulge whomever and whatever you please, I would only ask that you refrain from any homicidal behavior."

"Now, Elijah," I laughed. "You're forbidding one of the only two fun activities in the world."

Nik chuckled, too. "Only one day back and you've already more than fulfilled your quota for irritating, brotherly conduct," he told Elijah.

"I made myself quite clear, Niklaus," Elijah spoke again, but Nik was pretending to ignore him, walking back into the house. "So long as Jackson brings even an inkling of joy into Hayley's life, you are not to harm him."

Nik rounded on his brother. "It's amusing listening to you defend the man who married the woman you love, but then you've always coveted that which is not yours to have."

"Just listen," Elijah was becoming quite exasperated. "You're so fueled by your delusions of protection. Just think, Niklaus, if you kill Jackson the wolves will descend into chaos. You're action out of fear, terrified that Jackson might be a better father to Hope."

"Do not bring the child into this!" Nik shouted.

"Your child arrived her today, your security strengthened by the wolves that would defend her and you would jeopardize that alliance," Elijah chastised. "Niklaus, even you yourself mentioned had you been raised by Ansel, you might have been a better man. Now, perhaps a better man has entered Hope's life and seeing that you are shaken to your core."

I was torn between stepping between them and letting the brothers fight it out of their system. Either way I kept anxiously checking my phone and the time. Where was Kol? What if he had already died?

"You have the audacity to analyze me!" Nik growled. "That's ambitious considering your psychological deficiencies. How was your time with my therapist? Was it helpful? Cause it was a great risk leaving you alone with her. These days, who knows what you might do?"

"I have stood by you and defended you for as long as I can recall, but in the name of your daughter and her mother, I will not watch you commit this evil!" Elijah retorted.

"Kol is still missing you complete dunderheads! Jackson isn't going anywhere. Don't you think this can wait?" I shouted at them and took off to find the youngest brother on my own. I found him in the cemetery with Davina and Rebekah.

When I arrived, he asked Davina for some space and family time. Rebekah volunteered to get the rest of the family. Davina, crying, kissed Kol and whispered a promise to bring him back. After she had left I wrapped my arms around him.

"Of course, it's raining," I muttered into his chest, simultaneously inhaling his scent.

He chuckled which quickly turned into coughing.

"Always and forever is not something you can weasel out of, little brother," came Nik's voice.

We brought him into the Claire tomb where he reclined on the ground with his head on my lap. All of the Mikaelsons gathered around, the men stood further away and Rebekah knelt by us.

"All my life, all I ever wanted was for you lot to care about me," he coughed weakly; blood was beginning to seep into his mouth, tainting his teeth.

I pet his hair, trying to comfort not only him, but myself as well. It was all happening too quickly. I was supposed to have another lifetime with him.

"You're going to die a witch," Rebekah spoke gently to him. "We'll consecrate your body and you'll join the ancestors of New Orleans and those spirits can be brought back and I promise you, brother, I will not leave this body until I find a way to bring you home." She kissed his forehead and then when to stand near her other brothers, all of which had their backs turned.

"I need you," I told Kol and kissed his bloodied lips.

"You won't forget about me, will you?" he attempted his smirk.

"Don't ask questions you know the answers to," I scolded.

"Listen here, now," he choked out. "Last time I told you to find love and you didn't listen. You ran away from your family."

"I can barely love you," I told him.

"There's this paranoid narcissist who kills everyone who betrays him," he spoke, interspersed with coughs, his voice only a whisper. "And yet he has never hurt you no matter how much you manage to piss him off."

"Oh, Kol," I kissed him again.

"I'll see you again, mate," he grinned before his heart stopped.

Finn was dead; nothing could protect him, even if I had to summon my own sire.


End file.
